


Pilgrimage

by djiange



Series: Frames from Movies That Were Never Made [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Drabble, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:48:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28503270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/djiange/pseuds/djiange
Summary: Merlin visits that castle at Tintagel from time to time. Tourists pass by in an endless stream."You'd hate the tourists, but I brought you flowers."
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Frames from Movies That Were Never Made [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070306
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38





	Pilgrimage

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Frames from Movies That Were Never Made](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28255476) by [djiange](https://archiveofourown.org/users/djiange/pseuds/djiange). 



Merlin visits that castle at Tintagel from time to time. Tourists pass by in an endless stream.

"You'd hate the tourists, but I brought you flowers."

Merlin walks to the coastline after laying the rhododendrons before the bronze statue. Beyond there is a vast expanse of a light turquoise green, miscellaneous metal ores with memories of myth and folklore sleeping underneath for centuries.

He dreams of Arthur sometimes, of Arthur asking him to always be him.

"You know last time I tried to just be 'myself' it didn't end well, right? And honestly, what is 'myself' precisely? It's not like there's a substratum of my identity."

"Don't be philosophical. I'm just asking you to be idiotic. Shouldn't be hard for you."

Arthur ruffles his hair in a torturously familiar manner. Merlin returns a scowl and a shallow smile. He looks down at his wizened, skeletal hands.

"I don't know how much longer I can manage. It's impossible to stay this way. I'm going mad."

Arthur puts a kiss on his hoary eyebrow.

"Just hang on a little longer. You are the worst manservant to ever walk on earth. You've got this, Merlin. Don't make it weird."

Arthur's whisper sounds like a spell. "Remember my flowers."

Merlin wakes up at the edge of the cliff.

It's getting late. He turns around, walking past the statue into the darkness of night.

**Author's Note:**

> It's a bit of destiny that Bradley James visited [the statue inspired by King Arthur](https://mymodernmet.com/rubin-eynon-bronze-sculpture-gallos/) soon after I drew this lol


End file.
